All I Want For Christmas Is... A New House!

Halloween is barely over and the first signs of the holiday season have already crept upon us with decorations adorning seasonal aisles and holiday travel plans well underway. For most people, the holidays are their busiest time year, which could not be any truer if you are someone looking to buy or sell a home during the season. With that being said, devising a timeline that will put you into a new home, and/or get you out of your existing one before Christmas, is totally doable and is something a savvy Realtor will tell you to definitely consider!

The basic rule of thumb is, you need about 30 days to look for alternative housing and another 30 days to secure financing. If you add it up, it is clear to see there is still plenty of time left in 2013 to buy and/or sell a home. Of course this does imply that you are prepared to get right to it! Undoubtedly the task of buying and selling a home during the holidays will definitely make for a bit of added stress, but there are actually certain perks you can take advantage of if you do decide to buy during the statistically slowest time of year for real estate.

First of all, competition for properties will be greatly decreased meaning you might just be able to get into the home of your dreams without having to deal with the hassles of counteroffers, which ultimately drive the sale price up. Also, many homeowners who decided to sell during the holidays do so because it is necessary, which may make them more flexible on the bottom line and give you the upper hand when it comes to negotiations. In addition, mortgage lenders also experience a slowing of business during this time of year, which could make your loan application appear more favorable and allow it to move more quickly through the process. There is also of course, the deductions that homeowners will be able to apply to their 2013 taxes, which sometimes can make the whole deal worthwhile in and of itself.

As if all that was not enough to make you want to take advantage of the statistically slower holiday real estate market, you may want to consider the fact that you could even be putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage if you wait to buy a home once things pop off again during the peak of the new year. So, if all you really want for Christmas is a new house, don’t rely on Santa Baby to fill your stocking with a duplex, instead rely on your local Automated Home Finder Realtor!